New Beginnings
by malickandleeves
Summary: Joy and Victoria, return to Los Angeles after Melanie's wedding to start over once again in a town they first called home. New loves, new experiences and lots of change happens. This is the beginning of a new start.


**Crossroads**

_'Joy, Victoria…I have something to tell you, 'Melanie said, beaming with excitement. She had been holding back the news for days, fearful of her friends' reactions. _

_Joy peers up from a tabloid, her reading glasses falling against the bridge of her nose._

_'What is it? 'She says, setting her magazine on her lap. Victoria, also reading one as well, still wasn't listening. Joy turns to Victoria, smirking._

_'Victoria, your agent called.'_

_The older woman perked up and said, 'He did?'_

_Joy rolls her eyes, and Melanie replies, 'No, he didn't. Joy just said that so it would get your attention.' _

_Victoria sighs, and replies, 'What is so important Melanie, that you had to interrupt my tabloid time?'_

_The perky brunette sighed. Melanie got the impression sometimes that she got on Joy's and Victoria's nerves. It was different when they were in Los Angeles, they lived in separate homes, so it wasn't obvious, but ever since they started living together it seemed so obvious that a lot of her quirks bothered the two of them. But at least they were living their dream of living together. All that would change though as she was to marry Alec in less than a year, and who knows what would happen next?_

_'Guys, I'm getting married.'_

_Victoria and Joy look at each other, their jaws dropping in sheer excitement. They squeal and hug each other, and then run to hug their friend excitedly._

_'I'm so happy for you!' _

_Victoria replies, smiling. Joy hugs Melanie and says, 'I'm happy for you as well. Alec's really great.'_

_Melanie smiled, thinking, "That was done…now on to the next piece of news.''_

_She sighs and continues her train of thought. This wasn't going to be easy, telling Joy and Victoria what she was planning. But right as she was about to say something, Joy stops her._

_'Victoria and I have been talking, and we decided that we're considering a move. Things have been super tense here still, and we were considering spending part of the year back in Los Angeles and part of the year in Cleveland. I'm going to continue at UCLA, and Victoria's secured a job at the local news station._

_Victoria nods, replying. 'I was hoping for KTLA, but I got something.'_

Victoria packs the last of the boxes as she remembers that very day that everything started to change. She was sad to be leaving Cleveland, but she knew what she had to do. And plus, Joy was coming along with her, electing to continue her college studies back in Los Angeles instead of remaining in Cleveland. They would miss Melanie, but with Melanie getting married, it was decided that the move was for the best, and Melanie would remain with Alec. Elka would stay with Melanie, and continue to live in the guest house in the back. Elka was the caretaker of their house, and their best friend. At Elka's age, she felt she was much too old to make a move, and plus, she really loved living where she was at.

'That's the last of our things,' Victoria says, choking back tears as Joy uses the packaging tape to seal the box. Whipping out the sharpie, she marks the box with their names, and stands up to eye level with Victoria. Sighing, she looks at Victoria, frowning.

'It will be alright, we're at least going back to familiar territory, and plus, it's one of your homes that you never sold,' Joy says, taking Victoria's hand in hers. It felt soft and warm. Victoria smiles, and squeezes Joy's hand gently. In Victoria's last divorce, she got the two houses that she had purchased during her marriage. One of them, she let her kids live in, the other, she kept up so if she ever made a return to Los Angeles, she'd have a familiar place to go to instead of a hotel. 'I'm glad you're coming with me,' Victoria says with a smile. Joy looks at her friend, rolling her eyes.

'Of course I was! We always said that we'd live together if Melanie was to marry and we were kicked out.' Joy knew that thought sounded awful, but it was true. She didn't think she could live without Victoria. And Victoria herself didn't think she could live without Joy. When Melanie announced she was getting married, Victoria took Joy aside, and they talked. They didn't want to intrude on Melanie's marriage, and plus, it meant them living on their own again, just the two of them.

_'I have a home in Malibu, it's one of two homes I didn't sell after I moved here…and Oscar lives in the other home, so this one's the only one left. We can move there and you can continue your studies and resurrect your business to pay for college while I continue to work at a local news station and find more acting work. How does this sound?'_

Joy smiles sweetly and nods. 'It sounds absolutely perfect. Let's do it.' And in that very moment, Joy and Victoria decided to make the move. With both women at a crossroads, who knew what was going to happen. Would they find love, or happiness or success? Only time would tell, their new lives were just about to begin.

**It was Joy and Victoria, together, but not alone.**

Joy yawns and looks at the clock, which read six in the morning. Groaning, she realizes she has an early morning class at University of California. She had chosen the Los Angeles campus as it was the closest in proximity to Victoria's house, and registered for a few courses. Sitting up in bed, she looks out her window to see the waves crashing against the private beach which sat adjoined to Victoria's luxurious home. Smiling, Joy was glad to be back in familiar territory. She wonders what she needed to do today besides attend classes, and realizes that she doesn't have anything else going on other than study group, working at the salon and going to get her beauty license renewed. Using her connections with Taylor, their mutual best friend, she had learned that they were in need of someone at the local trendy salon. And after running around, handing out resumes, talking to salons in the area, she had landed a part time job at the salon. Although Joy was still pretty well off from her twenty year career, she still felt it was important she keep up her skills. Joy rushes to get dressed, realizing she had her first class early, and she wanted to make a good impression on her classmates and professor, so she prepares the shower and grabs her clothes. Stepping in the shower, she washes her hair, and thinks about the day ahead. Hopefully, she'll have her chance to start over again, and this time do it all right. While washing up, she hears a knock at the bathroom door. Joy rinses the shampoo out of her hair, and grabs a towel to put around her naked body. Thinking it was Victoria, she opens the door, only to find a young man waiting at the door, clad in no other than flannel bottoms. Blushing, Joy looks away.

'I'm so sorry,' the man says, clearly embarrassed. Victoria **_obviously_** didn't tell him that she had a roommate. He clutches his towel, likely even more embarrassed than she was.

Joy turns back to face him, and replies, 'It's alright. I presume Victoria didn't tell you she and I live in the same house. She tends to do that a lot, I'm used to it. I assume you need the bathroom, so I'll gather my things and I'll go finish getting ready. Class is at nine anyway.'

The man looks at her, smiling. 'Ah, fascinating…so where and what are you studying?'

Joy, still embarrassed and covering her nakedness with a towel, replies, 'I'm at UCLA studying criminology.' Just as she replies, she dashes to her room, covering herself with the towel. She wasn't going to talk anymore, she needed to leave the situation and rid herself of the awkwardness she was feeling. Finishing getting dressed, she hears another knock and a familiar voice.

'Joy, can I come in?'

Joy pulls her blouse on, and turns to the door. 'Sure, I guess.'

Victoria walks in, hair still a bit disheveled and in her negligee. Joy raises an eyebrow, knowing Victoria had sex last night. She always knew, and plus, she could hear Victoria's scream in the early morning hours. Victoria sits herself next to Joy, and looks at her.

'I'm sorry about this morning. It didn't cross my mind that I should have told Sal about you living here.'

Joy looks at her, replying,' it's fine really. I could hear you guys in the room next door.' In that moment, Victoria blushes,realizing that she really should have tried harder to keep quiet.

'I'm so sorry you were woken up by us having sex. I know you have a big day today, and I should have tried harder to keep it down. Are we good?'

Joy hugs her friend. 'Of course. It's the perks of sharing a house together. We're used to it though; it's just so weird without Mel though.' Victoria hugs her tight.

'I know, 'she whispers to Joy. 'It's hard not having her here either, but we'll be used to it in time…it's only been a few weeks since we moved out and we're supposed to fly back for the wedding, remember?'

Joy nods, remembering June was the month Melanie chose for her wedding to Alec. By then, Joy would be done with her first full year of university in Los Angeles, and Victoria, who knew what might happen. Victoria smiles and gets up, heading towards the door.

'Why don't I go get dressed and we'll go out for breakfast…just us. And then I'll drop you off for classes on my way to auditions. Sounds good?'

Joy smiled at the offer. 'I'd like that, 'she says smiling.

Victoria grins. 'Good. I'll go get ready and then we'll head out.' She smiles and leaves the room, and Joy smiles. She found it weird how happy it made her to have Victoria to herself, even just for a little while. This morning's encounter with Victoria's latest fling made her wonder about how she felt about Victoria, because when she saw the guy standing there, she was insanely jealous. She didn't know what she felt anymore. Victoria kept bringing home new flings and the more she did, the more jealous Joy felt. Suddenly she found herself wishing she had Victoria to herself. Usually, she'd tell Victoria about this all, but she didn't want to tell her just yet. She was pretty sure Victoria felt nothing more than friendship out of Joy, and she was afraid to make things awkward since they were living together.

Joy was doing the unthinkable.

Her suspicious nature made her not easily trust others…but it came in handy. She was the protective one of the two other ladies, but her protectiveness was a lot stronger towards Victoria than it was Melanie. Every time Victoria had a new boyfriend, she'd background check them herself, snooping around town, ducking in and out of bushes and even going as far as snooping through his texts while she and Victoria were double dating and her date, as usual left early. She turns towards the dance floor, watching as her best friend was dancing with this man she had met just days earlier. Their adjustment to Los Angeles had not been the easiest, with Joy having it even harder acclimating to the area again. Victoria hadn't exactly been completely there, and it was frustrating to her. She needed Victoria, and yet Victoria was blind to her pleas for someone to be there for her. Joy felt this hurt for months, but was too afraid to tell Victoria how she felt. Watching every guy who came in contact with her sent invisible daggers throughout her entire body, her stomach felt sick every time she watched Victoria share a kiss or even hold their hand. Joy was finding herself wanting Victoria all to herself, wanting her so badly that every part of her seared in pain just by the thought of Victoria with another man. Joy sips her martini, trying as much as possible to ease the pain.

Joy Scroggs was in love.

Sipping her martini, she tries so hard to hold back tears. She didn't know how much more she could take of this all. She had held these feelings in for so long that it was just becoming much too painful. The question was though,_ how could she tell Victoria?_

Meanwhile, Victoria had excused herself from her date. She needed to touch up her makeup, and plus the song wasn't lively enough for her. Dabbing her lips with her lip gloss, she looks in the mirror to find a different Victoria looking back at her. This Victoria was looking worn, and emotionally torn. She thinks to herself how Joy appeared so lonely, so sad. She had known Joy for a long time and had seen her through all the worst, but this was probably the worst. Victoria touches the necklace around her neck and sighs. She really didn't want to go tonight, but Roger had insisted. And Roger's friend Blake took Joy, so they decided to make it a double date. Victoria had figured they needed an evening together, and she had noticed the lanky brunette looking sullen recently and thought it would perk Joy up. It did until Blake had an emergency and had to go. _Emergency, my ass_, Victoria thinks to herself.

Blake was just doing what every man did to Joy. They'd take her out, get to know her and then when they find out that she's got some baggage, they zip out faster than a zip car. They never give her a chance. Victoria sensed Joy was upset but knew better to give her some space and then approach her. If it had anything to do with her not being there for Joy recently, she felt awful, but if she told Joy what really had been going on with her, she wasn't entirely sure Joy would understand.

Victoria had been struggling with her sexuality, and on top of that she had a crush on her best friend that was so massive that it was eating her from the inside out. She had been wrestling with herself, trying to figure out things. She was finding herself less into men, almost to the point where she was feeling like she was forcing herself to be with them when on the inside she didn't think she could see herself with them. In the six months she and Joy had been living in Los Angeles, she had slept with so many men that she lost count. Well she lost count over thirty years and five marriages ago, but in the last six, lost count completely. Was it possible she was a lesbian and in denial all along? It could have explained why the good majority of her marriages ended the way they did, she had lost interest in them the moment the marriage was official. Victoria sees a tear roll down her cheek and frowns.

'Oh god…I hate when I cry for real,' she says, and just in that moment, she hears a familiar voice.

'What's wrong, Victoria?'

Victoria turns to find Joy standing at the door. She manages a smile.

'Joy didn't expect you here,' Victoria says, walking towards her friend.

Joy looks at her concerned, and replies,'Roger sent me in here to check on you. He was concerned because you've been in here awfully long.' Joy touches her friend's shoulder.

'Something's wrong, isn't it? You know you can tell me, right?' Joy says calmly. Victoria knew she couldn't hide from Joy forever, and calmly replies, 'I know…but if I tell you this, promise not to let it affect us, okay?'

Joy nods. 'Promise.'

Victoria smiles nervously and looks at her dress, then looks at her friend. 'Joy, I've been wrestling with a lot recently, and I'm terribly sorry I've been literally not there for you. I know this move has been hard on you, and to tell you the truth, it's been hard on me too. I've also been struggling with myself recently-how do I put this-Joy, I might be a lesbian.'

Joy stands there silently, and smiles. 'I'm glad you told me this.'

Victoria stops her, and continues, 'I've got more to tell you, and please, don't freak out or hate me for this but…I'm in love with you.'

And in that very moment, Joy collapsed on the tile, and Victoria rushes to her side.

Joy wakes up, finding Victoria there.

'I'm sorry about the reaction. It's just…' She pauses and Victoria smiles. Joy reaches up to touch Victoria's cheek lightly with her palm.

'I've been waiting for you to say it for a while.' Joy caresses Victoria's cheek with her palm, and Victoria's reaction became more of surprised.

'Oh, really?' Victoria says, her hand finding its way to Joy's other hand, which still rested against her waist. She picks up Joy's hand and slips her fingers in between Joy's, and gently squeezes it. Joy looks at her with a nod, tears streaming down her cheeks. Victoria brushes the tears off Joy's cheeks, and says quietly.

'Don't cry. You're going to make me cry,' she says, her own eyes watering. Joy smiles sweetly at Victoria.

'Might do you some good to cry every now and then,' she says with a smirk. Victoria smiles and Joy manages to get up, and as she gets up her head hurts.

'Jesus, that hurts,' she remarks, rubbing her head with her hand. Victoria kneels and takes her in her arms. She reaches to brush Joy's messy strands away from her face. Without hesitation, she kisses her friend, and parts, smiling.

Joy smiles, and throws her arms around her friend, gently tackling her to the ground as she passionately makes out with her. They do so for a few minutes until Victoria realizes they're in a bathroom in a public place and laughs.

'Of all places this happens, we do this here,' she says with a laugh. Joy smiles sweetly.

'I'm glad you told me,' she says, kissing Victoria again on her lips, and parting with a silly grin on her face.

'I'm glad I told you too. Now let's go home, shall we?'

The two women get up and dust themselves off, and readjust their dresses. Victoria stands at the door, and holds out her hand. Joy takes her hand and they exit, holding hands.

'Here you go, 'Victoria says, holding out an ice pack. 'This is for your head,' she says and Joy takes the bag, placing it on her head. In her other hand, she hands Joy a drink.

'A drink for the lady, 'she says with a smile, kissing Joy's cheek as Joy takes the drink and sips it. Smiling, she looks at Victoria.

'You know me all too well,' she remarks to Victoria, noting that Victoria had put just the right amount of vodka. Victoria pulls a chair and sits next to her.

'You feeling any better,' she says, touching Joy's cheek. Joy nods.

'I'm feeling as good as I can be. And even better since we talked.'

Victoria nods. 'I think we needed to get it out there. '

Joy gets up and sets the icepack in the freezer, and fills a second drink. Somehow the alcohol was helping more than the icepack. She smiles and sits on the couch, motioning to Victoria to join her.

Victoria joins her, and they share a smile. Joy then sips her drink, smiling.

'I've had some time to process, and I feel I need to tell you how I feel. I…I love you too. I've been in love with you for months.'

Victoria takes her in her arms, smiling. 'This was what I was expecting to hear. If you don't want to pursue, I'll understand…but I think we'd regret if we didn't try.' Joy agrees, nodding her head. She knew in her heart that she desired Victoria with every fiber of her being. She felt right with Victoria.


End file.
